Andy's wife, Jaime Langeland, takes a turn on the clippers, cutting away at the six-year-old beard to uncover the chin she had never seen.

Jeffrey Antenore/For The Tustin News

BY ERIKA M. TORRES

THE TUSTIN NEWS

He did it.

Andy Langeland shaved off his 6-year-old red beard Sunday at Safe Harbor Church in Irvine after receiving $15,000 in donations to help build a ministry in the Ukraine for teenage orphans.

"Right now, I don't recognize myself in the mirror," Langeland said. "It's for a good cause though so it doesn't bother me at all."

Langeland, 24, used the beard as an incentive to help raise money after a church acquaintance asked how much money it would take to shave off his 9-inch beard. On a video he filmed with friends for the video sharing Web site www.youtube.com, Langeland claims he will shave off his beard if he can raise $10,000.

Langeland and his wife, Jaimee, began raising money in March and had reached $5,000 by late May. They have now raised more than $15,000.

"We're just so thankful for the generosity," Langeland said. "People will never know how many children they're going to impact in a positive way by their giving."

The couple expects to take a 14-hour flight today to move to the Ukraine to launch "Operation Lazarus."

They have gotten rid of most of their possessions, including their furniture, their car and their apartment, and have been living with Langeland's parents.

Langeland has traveled the world on mission trips but has felt closely connected to the Ukraine since he watched a video when he was 14 on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

After a trip to the Ukraine this past summer, Langeland decided he wanted to move there permanently to help out.

The Langelands hope to use the money to buy a property for the orphanage. The couple plan to help out at a summer camp for orphans when they first arrive in the Ukraine and hope to interest some youngsters in joining their home.

"I'm living my dream," Langeland said. "I've been dreaming about this for 10 years — can't go wrong with that."

As for the beard, Langeland hasn't decided yet whether he plans on keeping his new, fresh look, but after seeing his wife's enthusiasm, he's "definitely considering it."

To watch Langeland's video, click here.

Contact the writer: 949-553-2918 or etorres@ocregister.com